{
  "abstract": "Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a frequent and disabling symptom during cancer and anticancer therapy, and pathway-directed pharmacological treatment remains limited. This review examines CRF through the plant–microbiota–host axis, in which medicinal plant-derived bioactive compounds reshape gut microbial community structure and function and are in turn biotransformed by gut microbes into metabolites that host sensors detect. Tumor- and treatment-associated injury of the intestinal mucosa alters epithelial renewal, barrier selectivity, and microbial metabolism, reshaping host exposure to microbial products and metabolites. These changes generate molecular mediators, including short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan-derived metabolites, bile acids, and microbe-associated molecular patterns, which are detected by epithelial, immune, enteroendocrine, and neural sensors. We organize the evidence into mediator–sensor modules and discuss how vagal, humoral, and immune–metabolic routes may converge on brainstem and monoaminergic networks involved in activity, effort, and interoceptive malaise. Because direct causal evidence in CRF remains incomplete, we separate established biology from candidate mechanisms and define pharmacodynamic readouts that can test target engagement. Medicinal plant-derived compounds enter the framework upstream: their microbial conversion products engage the same mediator–sensor modules. We argue that future CRF studies should match the fatigue domain, biological subgroup, molecular target, and biomarker before efficacy is interpreted mechanistically; for plant-derived interventions, this matching must also include the administered compound and its microbially generated metabolites.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Integration and Innovation of Classic Formula and Modern Chinese Medicine, National TCM Key Laboratory of Serum Pharmacochemistry, Metabolomics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Chinmedomics Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine",
    "Shandong Key Laboratory of Gelatine Medicines Research and Development, Dong’e Ejiao Co., Ltd."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 14,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yu Jiao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Qin Feng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yifan Ren"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jinni Sun"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ruyu Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Qingchuan Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jingzhe Gao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zhengcan Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Qi Qiu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zhigang Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kunshuang Shen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ning Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Liang Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hui Sun"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4sgnd65kfvh2m.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968/full",
  "id": "4sgnd65kfvh2m",
  "issns": [
    "1664-302X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968/full",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "QR1-502"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Gut microbiota and health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223371436",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4sgnd65kfvh2m.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:43:54Z",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1988968"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Gut microbiota and health",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Medicinal plant-derived bioactive compounds modulate gut microbiota–host signaling in cancer-related fatigue: a phenotype-to-target framework",
  "title_text": "Medicinal plant-derived bioactive compounds modulate gut microbiota–host signaling in cancer-related fatigue: a phenotype-to-target framework",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:43:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4sgnd65kfvh2m",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Microbiology",
  "versions": []
}